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In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Shiri Dori writes:
> I'm interested - why do you clone-brand-fans use clone brands? How did you get
> around to use them?
Because in some cases they are REALLY cool! And as time passes they are
getting better. And you can really stock up on bricks in many colors and even
trans elements for cheap. Here in the Bay Area it is my observation that the
shelves were wiped clean of Mega Bloks for the holidays, while many a LEGO set
lingered on. Price v value? Juniorized v bricks? Its interesting to note how
many sets MB makes that are heavily reliant on just bricks for the most part --
almost no junior or even specialized parts.
Tyco Super Blocks, a discontinued brand, are to my mind almost as good as LEGO
blocks and in some cases even better. They had lots of non-standard colors
(some weird hot oranges, pinks, and reds -- almost black light colors!) and
the bricks are unusually resistent to damage, or so it seems to me. The Tyco
castles were pretty darn cool -- very good value for the $$$ even at this late
date. Tyco also had some very unusual pieces, pieces I am thinking of
knocking off in some way with resins when I have the time. The elements in
question are a very slender 2x2 plate with studs on both sides, and its
counterpart being a thicker element that is essentially a 2x2 empty grid that
receives studded parts on both sides. Now tell me that's not cool!
Mega Bloks kinda suck, but still have some great moments. And they are FAR
cheaper than LEGO. They also have some very different colors than the LEGO
norms. The Legend series with its castle sets and Viking ship was very cool.
Also their Planetoid sets are quite nice, especially one of the smaller sets
as it is a very good value for the money at $4. Tyrax, the potato bug alien,
is one of my fav minis at this point. And while I agree that LEGO continues
to have the best all-around minis over any competitors, I do like my MB
Vikings, Castle, and Space guys -- and hey, I even have the one brown skinned
mini from the monster truck set! O, I guess I forgot to mention the Monster
truck sets and the pullback cars -- great fun for the money, and you get these
nice engines with pipes and scoops. MB also has the VERY cool Eve White/Eve
Black Queen/Witch mini (complete with revolving head!), a frog, a very cool
broomstick, winged lions, winged griffons, a lion-headed mace for the king
mini, and the best war hammer I have seen for the mini world!!! Don't even
doubt that my LEGO smithy is wielding this baby in his strong hands -- cuz he
is! (Note: I am the smithy in my LEGO world, and yes, I DO have rather strong
forearms -- shall we say "Popeye-esque?").
I can send pics, Shiri, if you'd like to see some of my clone sets --- hmmm,
or maybe I can slop together some quick html somewhere later on tonite. I am
avoiding the madness and guarding a dog tonite anyway. Maybe her extra alert
ears will signal the end for me when it comes...(that's a joke, btw -- er, I
hope).
-- Richard (still saying no to spellcheck)
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Mega-Blocks - a new experience
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| I recently returned from a visit in CA (had a great time, thanks for asking :) in which, among other things, I visited my uncle + aunt + two younger cousins. The older of them had a lego bucket in her room, or so it seemed. Upon closer inspection, I (...) (25 years ago, 31-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands)
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